Electric lamplighting device for automobiles.



I H. H. KANAGY. ELEGTRIG LAMPLIGHTING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1910.

- Patented June 20, 1911.

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Ewardfl- H. H. KANAGY. 'ELEGTRIG LAMPLIGHTING-DEVIOE FOB AUTOMOBILES. I

APPLICATION FILED HAR.16, 1910.

Patented June 20, 1911.

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,Be it? known that I HOWARD i a. citizen of the United States, residing Joliet, in. the county ofWill and Stateot- J dli'wz r a may WW srarnsrarn r enrich.

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Specification of hetters Patent. P t t d g en, 1911, n nca uonni a March 16,1910. Serial No. 549,788.- 4

Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Lamplightlng-Devices for Automobiles, of which the :tollowing is a specification.

My invention: relates to an improvement in the class of electrically operated de- -vices used on automobiles for lighting and extinguishing the lamps thereon while the car is in motion: In a device'for this purpose it is very desirable to ignite the gas immediately upon its reaching the burnerin order to avoid the danger oi wrecking the lamp by the explosion of accumulated gas therein, dueto a tardy ignition, andtobreak the sparking-circuit upon the ignition taking place, in order to save wear and prolong the life of the sparkingcoil and battery.

I My invention involves a push-button device of novel construction by the use of 'which the desirable results referred to are accomplished, and'by which each alternate depression of the push-button shall turn on the gas and light thelamps and each intermediate depression thereoi shall extinguish the-lamps. I

In the accompanying drawings-,l igure 1 is a perspective view diagrammatically illustrating the lighting system of an autoinsectional elevation taken at line 4, Fig.3

mobile, including my improved device; Fig. 2 is a broken perspective View of the type of burner and igniter with which the lamps are equipped; Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken view in vertical section through my. improved pushbutton device taken'at line 3,

Fig. 1, and showing it in position against the seat of an automobile; Fig. 4 is a view 3, showing the parts in the position they -occupy when the gas is turned off; Fig. 5

is a similar view showing the parts in the position they occupy for llghtlng the lamps,

and F i 6 is a further enlarged sectional view 0 a gas-controlling valve taken at line 6, Fig. 4.

Two head-lights or lamps 7, with which an automobile is usually eqni ped, are shown in Fig. 1, and gas is conduc d thereto in the customary manner through the branches 8 of a pipe 8 leading from a tank 9, for containi .the supply of gas (preferably acetylene under high pressure. A

KAnAGY,

ers as will be hereinafter described.

My push-button device, for convenience of manipulation, is preferably located upon the front wall 18 of the seat just below the cushion 19 as shown in Fig. 3, and is seear-extensions 20 projecting from the back 21 of the casing 22. 1

Within the casing is a partition 23-and a valve 24 is confined between it and the back 21 in the lower. part of the casing, as by a screw 25. The gas-supply pipe 8 which leads from the tank 9 communicates with valve at a port 27 as shown in Fig. 6'. The ports 26 and 27 are connected by a passage within which is formed a valve-seat 28 adapted to be closed by a needle-valve 29 on a: stem 30.

Uponv the outer end of the valve-stem is mounted a cross-head or lever 31 (Figs. 4 and 5) to the opposite ends of which are 34 at which they are supported on studs 35 movements. A notch 36 is formed in the free end of each arm and the slots 34 are so shaped a'sto bring the notch of either one arm or the other to a position in alinement with the vertical center of the casing as the valve is turned from one position to another. A push-button 3'? provided with a collar .38 is arranged in the vertical center of the casing and has a leafispring extension 39 in alinement with one of the notches 86' of the arms 32 and 33. This extension has a bearing in a block 40 and the push-button is normally maintained in a raised position by a spiral-spring 41 confined about the extension between the collar 38 and block 40.

Adjacentto the arm 32 is provided on the v partition an electric contact-piece as from rounded one sparkingcured thereto by screws which pass through:

'pivotally connected the ends of two similar arms 32 and 33. These arms contain slots on the partition to guide the arms in their coil 17 for the purpose of lighting the burnthe valve at a port 26 and leads frointhe i Ill) which leads a wire 43 to the sparking-coil '17. A wire 44-1eads from the coil to a battery .45 and thence to the frame to ground the current there'on'as by contact of the wire with the pipe 8, as shown in Fig.1.

To light the lamps the push-button 1s depressed to cause the spring 39 toinitially I enter the notch in the arm 32 whereupon continued movement of the push-button turns the valve-stem through the medium of the arm32 and cross-head 31, sufliciently to open the valve and' allow the gas toflow to the barrier. The slot 34 is curved inwardly or deflected at its end adjacent to the notch, so that just prior .to the completion of the movement which carries the arm 32 from the position shown in Fig. 4 to that shown in Fig. 5, the leaf-spring 39 which has been flexed is brought agalnst the contact piece 42 to close the circuit through the coil, t ereby causing sparking at the-burners to light the gas upon its reaching the same. B'y' referring to Fig. 3 itwill be noted that the contact-piece projects sufliciently far from the partition to enter thepath of the leafspring, but that a clearance is aiforded be tween it and the arm. After, the lamps have been lighted the operator at once'frees the push-button which is instantly. returned to its normal osition by the spiral-spiingAl.

The act of lighting the lamps raises the arm.

33 to the position shown in Fig. 5 to bring it into operative position with its notch 36 in 'alinement with the leaf-spring 39 when the latter has been raised to its normal po- I sition. When it. is desired to extinguish the lights, the button is again depressed to turn 0 the gas through the medium of the arm 33 and its connections therewith, by the engagement of the leaf-spring 39 with the.

notch 36 in that arm. It will thus be seen that 'the valve is opened and the sparkingcircuit closed upon each alternate depression of the push-button, to lightthe lamps, and that upon each intermediate depression thereof the valve is closed and the lights ex- .tinguishe-d. Furthermore, the mechanism is so arranged that the spring-extension 39 ,of the push-button only engages the contactpiece {i2 to close the circuit momentarily upon each alternate depression of the button, thus avoidingv unnecessary wear on the sparking-coil.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a lamp-lighting device, the combination with a valve, of an electric contactpiece, a cross-head on the valve-stem, arms connected with the cross-head, and a spring-- retracted push-button provided with a spring-extension engageable with said arms to open the valve and contact with said piece upon each alternate depression of the push-button, and close the valve upon each intermediate depression thereof.

2. In a lamp-lighting device, the combi nation with a valve, of an electric contactpiece, a cross-head on the valve-stem, arms connected with the cross-head and provided with notches at their free ends, and a springretracted push button provided with a spring-extension engageable alternately with said arms at their .notches, to open the valve and contact with said piece upon each alterthe valve uponeach intermediate depression 7 na'te depression of thepush-button, and close thereof.

3. In a lamp -lightin device, the combination with. a valve, 0 an electric contact- 'piece, a cross-head on the valve-stem, arms nation with a valve, of an electric contact-' .plece, a cross-head on the valve-stem, arms connected with the cross-head and provided with slots, studs engaging the slots for support-mgthe' arms and gulding them in their movements, and a spring-retracted push-' button provided with aspring-extension engageable. with said arms to open the valve and contact with said piece upon each alter- .nate depression of the push button, and close the valve upon each intermediate depression thereof, one of said slots being deflected at one end to cause said spring-extension to contact with said piece when the push-but ton reaches its limit of movement as it is alternately depressed.

5. In alamp-lighting device, the con1bi nation with a casing, of a partition in the casing, a valve supported 1n the caslng between the back thereof and the partition,

an electric contact-piece on the partition, a cross-head on the valve-stem, arms connected with the cross-head, a'spring-retracted pushbutton provided with a spring-extension en gageable with said arms to open the valve and contact )Vlth said'piec'e upon each alternate dcpresslon of the push-button, and close the valve upon each intermediate depression thereof, and a bearing-guide for said spring-extension.

HOWARD In presence of CHAS. E. GAYLonn,

Gno. H. SNYDER.

H. KANAGY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by I 1 Washington, D. 03f

addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

